ASHLAND — The Ashland Soil and Water Conservancy District has started a plan to clean up the Katotawa Creek Watershed, which is considered “impaired” for recreational use.
“(It’s) concerning because this watershed drains down to Mohican, which we know about canoeing and all the recreation that happens down there,” said Erica White with the conservancy district.
The Katotawa Creek drains into the Jerome Fork, a part of the the Mohican River.
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors water quality using a variety of chemical, physical and biological indicators to determine if water is safe for animals and human beings.
White said Katotawa Creek, which runs for seven miles from the southern part of Polk Village to near Ashland’s Fin Feather Fur Outfitters, is OK for aquatic life use.
Bacteria from failing septic systems and livestock manure mean the creek’s water is impaired for recreational use, meaning it could be unsafe to swim in it.
To address this, the conservancy district is putting together what’s called a nine-element plan. The plan will then be submitted to the EPA. If approved, the conservancy district will be afforded various EPA grants to help cover the cost of projects meant to fix the issues.
Jane Houin, Ashland SWCD director, said her office is still in the process of gathering community input and finding projects along the creek.
“So there’s no dollar amount on those projects at this point,” Houin said.
However, White said the EPA recommends anticipating $100 a foot on these types of projects, not including engineering costs.
It’s unlikely, but if the conservancy district came up with a plan to address the entire length of the 13-square-mile watershed, the project could cost millions.
“Not all areas of the 13-mile stretch require stream bank stabilization,” Houin said. But the severe areas will need to have engineers design a solution, which could add to costs.
White’s and Houin’s goal in presenting the conservancy’s effort to develop a plan to address Katotawa Creek’s issues was to seek input from the commissioners before moving forward.
The conservancy district is also seeking input from the community in order to develop a list of potential stream bank stabilization projects.
For more information, contact the district at 419-281-7645 or visit the website.
